


With every broken bone (I swear I lived)

by WritingBarnes



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Marvel Avengers Fusion, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Women, Bucky Barnes & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Bucky Barnes & Steve Rogers Friendship, Canon Compliant, Clintasha Week, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gen, Light Angst, Love, Male-Female Friendship, Other, Past Bucky Barnes/Natasha Romanov, Phil Coulson & Pepper Potts Friendship, Physical Abuse, Platonic Male/Male Relationships, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Slice of Life, Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov Friendship, winterwitch - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-13
Updated: 2016-01-18
Packaged: 2018-05-01 10:07:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 17,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5201834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritingBarnes/pseuds/WritingBarnes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Avengers University AU</p><p>Phil liked to call it The Avengers Residence. He put up flyers around the university and was more than excited to work as the first leader in the huge mansion. He was pretty sure the mansion could be counted at a dormitory building but he didn't really care. He's about to be the first (and the best) leader in the house (or mansion). </p><p>There were a bunch of applicants and he has sorted them out this morning. Some were an immediate YES, some a little worrisome, and the rest wasn't even worth looking at.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Avengers Residence

**Author's Note:**

> This is inspired by the trailer marvel just posted the other day for a game, I think.  
> I'll try to update regularly :)  
> Well, enjoy the story!

 

Phil Coulson was a very proud man. He managed to gain Nick Fury’s trust and got to be the house leader. He was assigned the smaller dormitory at the far end of the university ground. It looked more like a huge mansion than a dormitory, which was good. It would be like a home and he will make sure that everyone will feel at home here. He clutched the huge binder in his chest as he stood in front of the house.

 

The four stories Victorian-Edwardian style house looked more intimidating up close and Phil was suddenly filled with a sense of dread when he saw the house. Not a lot of people wanted to stay in this kind of house, especially university students. The house itself was located at the end of the road, the furthest place from the campus ground. The small forest right behind the house indicated that there would be a lot of wild animal appearances. He took a deep breath and stepped inside the washed out blue-green painted house.

 

Maria Hill, Fury’s most trusted person, didn’t lie. She told him the interior of the house was just as modern as the house near the campus ground. There was a huge fireplace in the living room on his left with a kite winder leading to second floor not far from the living room. Everything was well furnished, he noticed. He mentally thanked Maria Hill for providing such lovely furniture. He took his time touring the whole house, writing down descriptions for each room in the house before he went back to his car to grab his stuffs. _This is going to be so fun._

 

* * *

 

“Hey, Steve. There’s an empty housing ad.” Bucky stopped in front of the bulletin board, grabbing his best friend’s collar to stop him. His best friend groaned when one of his sketches fell to the ground. He quickly picked it up and turned around.

 

“Oh. Phil Coulson?” Steve read the weirdly designed flyer.

 

“You know him?”

 

“He bought some of my paintings during the art week last year.” Steve answered with a small smile. “That’s a pretty cheap rent.” He added.

                                                                                                  

“Yeah, because the house is miles away from the campus.” Bucky snorted. “It’s a good deal though. I don’t want to live next to that stupid frat house anymore.”

 

“Yeah, we should apply.” Steve nodded at his friend. _Cheap rent and a quiet area? Count him in._ “Let’s ask Nat and see if she wanted to join us as well.”

“On it.” Bucky pulled out his iphone and started texting his female friend.

 

“Shit, I’m late. The professor is going to kill me. Tell me what she said.” Steve cursed before he jogged away from Bucky. Bucky gave him a small wave and continued on his way to the library. It’s a quiet place and no one could question his prosthetic arm.

 

* * *

“JANE! OH MY GOD.” Darcy tried to pry her friend away from her textbook.

 

“What?”

 

“I’ve been talking to you about this awesome housing for the past 10 minutes and that’s your reply? What?”

 

“I have a quiz later, Darcy.” Jane rolled her eyes at Darcy’s dramatic act. “Oh, that’s a lovely house and the rent price is beautiful.” She grinned.

 

“Phil Coulson? Isn’t that the guy who accidentally spilled a tray of coffee over our research paper?” Darcy squinted her eyes as she recalled what happened six months ago.

 

“He is! But he’s okay when he’s not spilling coffee on our research paper. Besides, the rent is incredibly cheap, Darce. I don’t care if it was that stupid Alexander Pierce, I’d stay there.” Jane said with determination.

 

* * *

 

“I went to the house.” Natasha plopped down on the grass next to Bucky. She took out her phone and showed Bucky and Steve some pictures she took during her ‘spy mission’ to the Avengers Residence.

 

“What the hell is Avengers Residence?” Bucky asked incredulously.

 

“The name of the house. Phil said it’s a cool name.” She shrugged and stole a piece of sandwich from Steve. “I told him we want to rent a room. He said okay.”

 

“That easy?” Steve frowned.

 

“I may or may not have slipped your name, Steve. He was excited to have you in the house.” Natasha grinned.

 

“Nice.” Bucky chuckled.

 

“We just need to fill out some forms and we’re done. We can even move in today if we want.” Natasha added. She took out three forms and pens out of her bag.

 

“You need to fill it now before he changed his mind.” She said.

 

“I’m moving in today.” Bucky mumbled as he filled out the form. “I cannot handle those fratboys. I need my sleep.”

 

Steve and Nat gave their friend an empathetic nod. They have been rooming together in a small house next to a frat house and it was not something they would recommend to other people. This Avengers Residence would give them the peaceful setting they dreamed of. And God knows they need some peace to deal with their past traumas.

 

* * *

 

“Come on, Phil. You know you want us to stay.” Darcy said.

 

“Yeah. But I’m pretty sure I cannot handle you, Darcy.” He sighed.

 

“She’ll behave, I promise.” Jane nodded.

 

“Fine. Fill this form and give it back to me today. You can move in as soon as you want.” Phil said after a moment of silence. “Please read the rules and obey them.” He added.

 

“YES.”

 

“Come on, Darce. Let’s check out the rooms.” Jane giggled and dragged her friend inside.

 

“Hey, I know Barton.” Darcy stopped in front of one room that was labeled with a piece of scrap paper.

 

“He’s going to help me with the housing, Darcy. Go find another room.” Phil gently pushed her forward, ignoring her complaints.

 

* * *

 

“It’s very nice to meet you, Steve Rogers.” Phil Coulson could barely contain his excitement when the trio walked into the house. He shook their hands and Bucky swore he could see hearts in the older man’s eyes. He is nice, Bucky admitted. He didn’t ask about his arm, which he would forever be thankful for, and he let them choose their own rooms.

 

Natasha picked the best room in the house. It was the second biggest room (the biggest one was taken by a Darcy Lewis). There weren’t much inside aside from a bed, a wardrobe, a huge bookshelf and an office table at the corner of the room. Natasha was pleased with the room. She kicked them out and threatened to kill them if they claimed the room.

 

Steve picked the room next to Natasha. It has the most sunlight exposure. He needed it for his art stuff, he reasoned. The room was a little small but Steve has never been fond of big empty spaces anyway. He gave Bucky a happy grin as he set down his books and laptop.

 

Bucky chose the room across Steve’s. He didn’t have a lot of preferences to begin with but he knew he didn’t want to be away from his best friends. His room was also next to a Clint Barton. The guy put a scrap paper to mark it as his and Bucky couldn’t wait to befriend the guy.


	2. Weekly Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rule Number One : Be home at 7 on Thursday for weekly dinner with the whole family.

_Fuck. Fuckity fuck. Fuck. Drinking shots the night before his first day of college is not the smartest idea_. He had a pounding headache and he swore he would kill the next person who told him he looks ‘a little pale’ _. No shit, Sherlock. I’m trying not to puke all over the floor_. Clint grumbled as he left the campus ground. _Why does the house have to be so fucking far anyway? Phil better carried me back home if I passed out in the middle of the street. This is ridiculous. I need sleep._

 

“Hey, you made it home.” Phil Coulson, the devil himself, opened the door and let him in.

 

“Yeah. I’m going to crash now.” He told the older man.

 

“We’ve go newcomers. You better get your shit together when they came back from classes.” Phil nodded. “Oh, I enrolled you to Russian Language 101.”

 

Clint snapped his head towards the man. Bad idea. He almost fell when he did it. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before he opened them and gave Phil the worst glare in the whole world.

 

“What the hell? I don’t know any Russian. Why would I take that class?”

 

“You lost the bet.” Oh right. The bet. The stupid bet they made when Clint came to the university. _I get to pick a class for a semester if I caught you hungover on your first day of the semester._ Of course he would find out.

 

* * *

 

“What do you mean we’re moving? Bruce!” Tony threw a tiny screw at his best friend.

 

“There’s a better housing, Tony. It’s at the end of that road.” He pointed at the empty street outside.

 

“That’s very far.”

 

“And the house is cheap. I know price doesn’t matter to you but it’s a good place. It’s a very peaceful place. Phil was the house leader, if you want to know.” Bruce smiled.

 

“Phil? Phil Coulson?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Dammit. That guy charmed Pepper in seconds. I still don’t know how he did that.” Tony grumbled. He still took the paper from Bruce and quickly filled out the form, though. Their current housing was crap and he knew it.

 

“He’s a nice guy.” Bruce shrugged as he went back to his microscope.

 

“Hey, Tony.” Jane Foster interrupted before Tony could make a comeback. “Oh, you’re moving to the Avengers Residence?” She peered at the paper with a huge smile. They have been working together for a month now and he still couldn’t get used to her kindness.

 

“Avengers Residence?”

 

“Phil named it. It’s pretty catchy.” Jane grinned and grabbed her pad to start on her work.

 

“You’re moving as well?” Bruce looked up from his microscope and watched her gave him a nod.

 

“Darcy’s coming as well.”

 

“I like Darcy.” Tony said.

 

“Of course, Tony. She’s like the female version of you, but with less exes.” Jane quickly replied.

 

* * *

 

“You want to move here.” Phil Coulson spoke out, a little (very) unsure with the two science major kids in front of him. Bruce, he can understand. He didn’t come from a wealthy family. He read a lot about his accomplishments and he knew the kid got into the university on full scholarship. But Tony Stark? This kid was probably the richest kid in the whole university. Why would he want to stay in this place is beyond him. Then he darted his eyes towards the awkward looking Bruce and it clicked. _Best friends do not leave each other._

 

“Yes.” Tony and Bruce nodded.

 

“Okay.”

 

“That’s it?” Tony’s eyebrows were knitted in confusion.

 

“Yeah. What do you expect? Some lengthy interviews and tests?” Phil raised an eyebrow.

 

“Darcy told him there would be some huge test to see if we belong here or not.” Bruce grinned.

 

“You let go of that expensive housing of yours so you could stay here with your best friend. That’s an A plus from me.” Phil smiled when he saw Tony twitched. Someone really needs to teach him how to accept a sincere and heartfelt compliment.

 

* * *

“Phil Coulson is texting me.” Steve furrowed his eyebrows as he stared at his phone screen. Bucky snickered beside him and let out a curse when his laptop fell off his lap.

 

“What did he say?” Natasha asked.

 

“Dinner at 7.” Steve looked at her. “Why are we having dinner at 7?”

 

“Don’t any of you read the guidelines?” Natasha rolled her eyes. “We have weekly dinner with the whole housemates on Thursday.”

 

“Huh.” Bucky turned back to his laptop.

 

* * *

“Hey, Jane.” Darcy called out. They were walking towards the administration office to apply for another class. She was in political science already and didn’t know why she would want to apply for another class. But Jane could be very persuasive and they had a weird project going on. Taking the class would get her more credits and let’s be honest, it’s not the worst class she could pick.

 

“What?”

 

“Have you ever heard of Odin?”

 

“Who?” Darcy rolled her eyes. _Of course Jane wouldn’t know. That girl didn’t know anything beside science._

 

“You know, the rich royal family from a small country in Europe?”

 

“No. Why?” Jane turned to her as they gave their forms to the old woman in the office.

 

“Some people were talking about it. His first son is going to enroll in this university.” Darcy explained. Jane didn’t seem to care and she had to resist the urge to roll her eyes again. She opted to check her phone while they waited.

 

“We have dinner at 7.” Darcy reminded.

 

“At home?” _home._ The words felt right in her tongue as she asked Darcy. She has never felt at home anywhere but the Avengers Residence gave her just that.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Okay.” Jane smiled.

 

* * *

Phil heard the sound of the door and peeked out of the kitchen to see who just came back. His face split into a wide smile when he saw Steve, Bucky, and Natasha entering the house. They looked a little taken aback by the food he set up on the long table.

 

“Sit. We’ll be eating soon. Darcy and Jane will be here in a few minutes. Barton is out.” Phil explained.

 

“Thank you, sir.” Steve politely replied. He spent his childhood with little money and this kind of feast always overwhelmed him.

 

“Just call me Phil. Oh, do you want mashed potatoes or fries?” Natasha was right. Phil Coulson is a very nice guy.

 

“We’re home!” The three of them tensed for a moment before they realized there was nothing to be afraid of. Phil noticed it but he pretended not to see when Natasha turned to him. They turned their attention to the front door.

 

Darcy dragged Jane into the dining room. The two of them had huge smiles on their faces as they put down their bags on the couch.

 

“Meet Darcy Lewis and Jane Foster.” Phil introduced the women. “And these are Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, and Natasha Romanoff.”

 

“Nice arm you got there.” Darcy blurted out with a grin. Jane looked horrified at her statement. Bucky relaxed a little bit more as he grinned back at the curvaceous woman.

 

“Sorry. I don’t really have filter for my mouth.” Darcy apologized with a grimace.

 

“It’s okay, Lewis.” He waved it off.

 

“I like you.” Natasha nodded in approval.

 

“Good. I like you too. Your hair, actually.” Darcy cheekily replied.


	3. What are housemates for?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil is going to cry if he saw him being caring and shit

The five of them found themselves in the living room after dinner. Phil was off to somewhere (they didn’t really pay attention when he told them about it). Darcy was sprawled at one of the loveseat, her legs propped on Jane’s laps while the latter browsed through her pad. Bucky was sitting on the wooden floor, his back resting against the couch. Steve was dozing off on the single couch behind Bucky while Natasha tried to get a good position between the two of them.

 

“Do you know anything about our other housemates?” Natasha turned to Darcy. The woman seemed to have a lot of information about it.

 

“Tony Stark and Bruce Banner are moving in. I read their forms on Phil’s folder. I don’t know the rest of them, though. I think there are some foreign kids as well.” Darcy tapped her chin as she tried to remember the names. “I don’t remember the names.”

 

“Stark? Why would he rent a room here?” Clint descended the stairs. “I’m Clint Barton.” He sheepishly grinned. He tried to fix his hair as he approached them. They told him their names, not bothering to get up from their position.

 

“Because Banner is here.” Jane answered.

 

“Huh.” Clint looked thoughtful for a moment before he turned to the kitchen. Phil had left him some food on the table and a slice of pie in the fridge. He grabbed the plate and went back to the living room, making himself comfortable on the floor near Natasha.

 

“Your hair is pretty.” Clint turned to the redhead before his eyes darted towards Bucky who was staring at him in confusion. “Oh, are you two a thing?”

 

“No. He was just confused by your weird pick up line.” Natasha replied.

 

“Please don’t tell me it works on dames.” Steve said as he slowly opened an eye.

 

Clint’s smug smile was enough of an answer. Steve mumbled some incoherent words before he closed his eyes again. Natasha chuckled and took a piece of fries from his plate.

 

“Hey! That’s my fry!”

 

“You just use a pick up line on me, Barton. I’m entitled to your fries.” Natasha shrugged.

 

* * *

Clint Barton had a very good hearing. He was proud of it but sometimes he wished he didn’t have it. This was one of those times. He was startled awake by a whimpering sound. It was coming from Bucky’s room. He thought Bucky was having sex with someone at first but then the sound got a little louder and he could hear a crying sound. One week. It took one week before something happened, Clint sighed. He sat on his bed, contemplating what he should do. No one seemed to be awake as far as he could hear. Tony and Bruce were away on some trip and wouldn’t be back until tomorrow. Jane’s and Darcy’s rooms are on another floor. He was about to turned his doorknob when he heard a shuffling noise. He quietly opened his bedroom door and stepped outside to find Natasha and Steve walking out of their rooms. Steve gave him an apologetic smile before he entered Bucky’s room. Natasha stayed behind and waited for him to approach her.

 

“Is he okay?” Clint asked.

 

“He will be.” Natasha firmly replied, her eyes never leaving Steve and Bucky. Bucky was sitting on his bed, drenched in cold sweat while Steve tried to calm him down.

 

Clint shambled downstairs a moment later. Natasha didn’t bother to follow him. She stayed in front of Bucky’s room, her eyes on her best friends as she waited for Bucky to stop thrashing. It was dangerous and she could get hurt, Steve had told her. She knew she could probably handle it but Bucky may feel cornered to have two people around him when he came to his senses. So she waited for any telltale on his face that told her it was okay to come inside. She shifted her gaze towards Clint who went back a few minutes later with a cup on his hand.

 

“Give this to him.” He handed her the cup.

 

“What is this?” She sniffed the content of the cup.

 

“Valerian root, lavender flowers, lemon balm, and some other herbal shits. It helped with my nightmares.” He shrugged. She studied his face carefully, noticing the slight clench of his jaws.

 

“Thank you.” She whispered with a soft smile. “It smells weird, though.” He loosened up a little at her comment and grinned.

 

She stepped inside the room when she heard Bucky mumbling apologies to Steve. Clint slipped back to his room as quiet as possible. Bucky didn’t need to feel like he’s some kind of attraction, he thought. He could still hear them from his room, though. Natasha did most of the talking, explaining what’s inside the cup with the exact wordings he said. His lips slowly curled into a smile as he closed his eyes again.

 

* * *

 

He met them again when he entered his Russian 101 class the next morning. Bucky looked a lot better than he was last night but Clint could still see the dark circle under his eyes as he sat next to him. Natasha gave him a smile and a little wave before she settled on her seat.

 

“Thanks.” Bucky quietly said. It was barely audible and he almost didn’t catch it. Clint turned to him with a comforting smile on his face.

 

“Did it help?”

 

“Yeah. Sorry for waking you up.” The corners of Bucky’s lips lifted ever so slightly.

 

“You don’t have to be sorry for something you can’t control.” Clint replied.

 

“The tea…”

 

“I can order some more for you if you want.” Clint offered. Bucky seemed a little hesitant at first but he finally nodded when Natasha gave him a comforting pat on his back.

 

“Thanks, Barton.”

 

“What are housemates for?” Clint shrugged. “Phil is going to cry if he saw me being caring and shit.” He grinned and just like that, the atmosphere was back to normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think of the story so far? I had a lot of fun writing this AU story :D  
> The tea mentioned in the story is real, if you're wondering. It was used to help with anxiety and insomnia and something, i think.


	4. Boom Clap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "We may have killed him." - Darcy Lewis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some Jane and Darcy! I've come to love their friendship. They clearly care for each other and no one can tell me otherwise.  
> Anyway, enjoy this chapter! Tell me what you think ! :)
> 
> Thank you for the subscribes, comments, kudos, & bookmarks.

“I don’t think this is a good idea.” Jane mumbled, her eyes glued on the weird machinery in front of her. Bruce gave her a small pat in the back. _Was that supposed to make me feel reassured?_ Tony was recalibrating something on a holographic screen on her left while Bruce stepped back to admire their work. _Dammit_. _This is what happened when you are the most sensible person in the group, Jane_. She let out a soft sigh and moved to Tony, grabbing a small pad from the table and did her own calculation. _Just to make sure._

 

“Okay. I’m done.” Tony grinned and waved a tablet around.

 

“I would advise you to be careful with the tablet, sir.” JARVIS, an AI Tony invented, commented. He had put the AI throughout the house and they were surprised when Phil said he likes JARVIS.

 

Jane looked around the room with wary expression. Tony and Bruce picked the furthest room from the hall on the fourth floor. It was safe enough, she supposed, to create a secret science lab. God, Phil is going to kill her if he found out, she mentally groaned. Darcy was off to God knows where and there was no one that could stop their science impulses.

 

“Okay. We may have to get out of the room. Just to be safe.” Bruce said.

 

“The things we do for science.” Jane grumbled. She grabbed her safety goggles and trailed behind Tony and Bruce.

 

“Okay. A project by Banner, Foster, and Stark. We are trying to see if we could create a small scale Einstein-Rosen Bridge. Trial number one.” Stark spoke out so JARVIS could record it.

 

“Ready?” He turned to Jane and Bruce, pressing the buttons on his pad when they gave him a nod.

 

* * *

 

“WHAT THE FUCK?! I LEFT YOU GUYS FOR TWO HOURS! TWO FUCKING HOURS AND YOU BLEW UP YOUR ROOM?!” Darcy fumed. She just came back from her usual trip to her favorite confectionery store when she heard a loud explosion at the top floor of the house. She found her three scientist friends sprawled on the hall, _giggling_ manically.

 

“It was a little experiment, Darce.” Jane giggled. _This woman,_ she cursed, _almost got blown up and she’s laughing?!_

“Trial one failed. There must be something wrong with the calibration.” Tony pulled himself up from the floor with difficulty. Darcy thought he dislocated his shoulder. A loud crack when Bruce pulled his arm confirmed her suspicion. “That fucking hurts.” Tony grumbled.

 

“Phil. Oh my god what would PHIL THINKS, JANE?! I DON’T WANT TO GET KICKED OUT!” Darcy was clearly panicking. She was pacing along the hall, staring down her friends who tried to move away. She didn’t have a lot of money. Heck, she has a loan that she won’t be able to pay off until she was fifty or something. This. This house was supposed to help her with her financial problems. What was she suppose to do if they have to find a new place? She was positive it would be impossible to find a nice place with a cheap rent like this.

 

“Chill, Darce. I put JARVIS in this residence. He’s going to forgive us.” Tony coolly put an arm around her shoulders.

 

“Oh wow.” They all turned to the stairs to find Steve standing there, utterly gobsmacked by the sight. “I just got back and I saw smoke coming out of the back window.” He pointed at the broken window behind them.

 

“Just a little mishap, Rogers.” Bruce grimaced at Tony’s reply.

 

“Yeah. You should clean that up. Someone’s about to moved into this floor.” Steve rubbed the back of his head. “And uhm—I think you guys are late for your class.” Steve. Sweet, kind, sometimes a little shit Steve, remembered all their schedules. The very thought of that almost made Darcy tear up. She wasn’t brought up in a happy household and it was rare for her to find someone who cares about her and her friends. Well, maybe her emotional outburst was caused by the shock of the explosion. His message sank in a moment later and Darcy gasped.

 

“We have that Norse class, Jane!” She pulled up her best friend and dragged her downstairs, ignoring Tony’s and Bruce’s protests.

 

“I’m not going to help you clean up.” Steve said and crossed his muscular arms when Tony and Bruce gave him puppy eyes.

 

He succumbed to their pitiful looks few minutes later and helped them clean up the floor.

 

* * *

 

“I said I’m sorry!” Jane pouted as they walked back to their house few hours later. The sky has gone dark and Darcy was still acting like a petulant child. Her best friend was still annoyed at her. They did get the _privilege_ to do extra work to make up for the class, which was why they only just got back this late.

 

“Sorry won’t bring my candy back.” Oh, so that’s what the problem is. Jane smiled and dug her bag for something. Darcy stopped walking and turned to her with knitted eyebrows.

 

“There you go!” Jane grinned and shoved a small bag of _her favorite candies_. Jane had her favorite candies in her bag. Darcy gawked at her before she flung herself at the little scientist. What is it with her housemates and being caring people?

 

“I forgive you, Jane.” She beamed, popping a piece of chocolate candy into her mouth and gave one to Jane before she opened her own bag to put the candy.

 

“Hey!” They froze when they heard an unfamiliar male voice behind them. Darcy quickly grabbed her taser (it may not be legal but who gives a fuck, anyway. She needs taser to survive) and Jane, her petite scientist friend, tightened the grip on her enormous bag. She swung it towards the man’s face and Darcy quickly shot her taser at him when he was at arm’s length. Both of them leapt in glee before they realized who that guy was.

 

“Is… Is that Thor?”

 

“Who?” Jane frowned.

 

“The one I told you about, Jane! He’s in our class as well!” Darcy smacked Jane’s arm.

 

“Oh. OH. Oh my God. Darcy, we knocked him out.” Jane breathed out.

 

“Okay, let’s stay calm. I will call Barton because he probably could handle this kind of thing.” Darcy fished out her phone and dialed her friend.

 

“Hello?”

 

“BARTON WE MAY HAVE KILLED SOMEBODY. NOT SOMEBODY. WE MAY HAVE KILLED THOR.”

 

“I should text Phil.” Jane mumbled and took out her Stark Phone (courtesy of Tony Stark who hates anything with an apple logo on it)


	5. Greetings from Sokovia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Is this room empty?” Wanda pointed at the second door from the stairs on the second floor. She jumped back when someone opened the door from the inside.
> 
> “Sorry, doll.” He grinned. Wanda caught his prosthetic left arm from the corner of her eyes. A small smile crept up her face when he gave her a grin and offered a handshake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tell me what you think so far :)

Clint found Darcy and Jane a few blocks away from their house. There was an unconscious man lying on the sidewalk and his two friends were still freaking out. Darcy ate most of the candies in her Baggies and Jane was mumbling some incoherent words. He stopped on his tracks and squinted his eyes. _Hey, this guy looks familiar. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen him somewhere. Oh dear, he is familiar._

 

“Did you just tased Thor? As in Thor the son of Odin?” He asked.

 

“CLINT!” Darcy cried and flung herself towards him.

 

“He’s not dead. I’ve checked.” Jane nodded.

 

“What did he do?” He crouched down and winced at the swollen bump on Thor’s head. _That’s going to hurt like hell._

“We thought he was going to kill us.” Darcy rambled.

 

“Did you call Phil?” Jane nodded and told him about Phil’s 10 minutes rant.

 

“Okay. He has a room in our place.” He started and bit back a chuckle when Darcy and Jane paled.

 

“He’s moving in?! Jesus! I mean, I like him. He’s hot and all that shit but we just tased him.” Darcy panicked.

 

“It’s fine, Darcy. We need to figure out how to get him back to our house.” Clint cut her off.

 

“We can carry him together.” Jane offered.

 

* * *

 

 _What was Jane thinking? We can carry him together, my ass._ Darcy grumbled when they finally reached the front porch. _My body hurts. Look at that Barton over there, panting like he just ran a few miles. I hope this counts as an apology or I’ll tase him in the ass. Royalties or not. What is she doing? Oh shit, I know that look._

“Don’t you dare, Jane.” Darcy warned. The woman squeaked and looked up at her in shock.

 

“I’m not doing anything!” She defended. Clint was too tired to join the argument and slumped down on the carpeted floor next to Thor.

 

“I know your heart eyes!” Jane blushed when Darcy huffed.

 

“What the fuck is ‘heart eyes?’ ” Clint mumbled. Darcy was about to reply when she was interrupted by their fellow housemates who walked downstairs to see what the fuss is all about. _Oh look, Steve is in his pajamas._

 

“Who is that?” Bucky frowned.

 

“That is Thor Odinson, some kind of prince from a country called Asgard.” Tony Stark answered for him.

 

“What?” Steve turned to Tony.

 

“Yeah, the country is big on Norse mythology, hence the names.” Tony shrugged. “Is he dead?”

 

“She smacked him with her bag.” Natasha winced a little. That has got to hurt, she thought.

 

“She tased him.” Jane harrumphed.

 

“Yes I did.” Darcy proudly smiled.

 

* * *

 

One month. Is he going to lose his job in one month? Phil didn’t know. He rubbed his temples and let out a very long sigh. There was an explosion and then he found out Darcy and Jane knocked out a prince. A fucking prince. Was he impressed by their defense skills? Absolutely. But this is Thor. He wondered if Nick would kill him if he found out.

 

“Do not fret, Son of Coul. I am well.” He looked like a giant golden retriever, Phil mused.

 

“It’s Coulson, actually. Anyway, I am really sorry for this.” He glared at Darcy and Jane who were sitting on the couch with hands on their laps.

 

“I apologize for scaring you, Darcy, Jane.” His eyes lingered a little on Jane and Darcy rolled her eyes.

 

“It’s okay, big guy. We’re housemates.” She grinned.

 

“Yes, we are.” Thor nodded and beamed at the women.

 

* * *

 

Monday is a good day for Phil. After last Friday’s accident, he was more than happy to find that there are people who still want to rent a room. Two people, actually. Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, he read the forms. They were transfer students from Sokovia and they had an impressive records. Pietro was a track runner and he has won several gold medals throughout his high school years. Wanda had a 4.0 GPA with impressive reference letters from her former teachers. They skipped a year in high school as well. He put away the last letter he read in the bin. He was pretty big on second chances and there was no way he was going to reject them for something they couldn’t control.

 

“Hello, you must be Wanda and Pietro.” He greeted the twins. They looked a little shocked by his warm greetings and it made him angry thinking about how they have been treated in the past for them to react this way. His smile widened when Pietro shook his hand.

 

“Hello. You are Phil Coulson, yes?” he asked with his thick accent.

 

“Thank you for accepting our request.” Wanda’s accent was not as thick as her brother, Phil noticed. Then her words and the tone of her voice sank in and he frowned.

 

“You were rejected from other residence?”

 

“Did you not read our forms?” She asked, clearly surprised by Phil’s anger.

 

“I did.” Phil replied. “You're not bad people. You're very good people, who bad things have happened to.”

 

"Is that from Harry Potter?" Pietro smiled.

 

“Yes. Come on, you can pick your own rooms.” He said to lighten up the atmosphere.

 

“Thank you.” He heard Pietro mumbled as he trailed behind him, his hand holding Wanda’s.

 

* * *

 

“Is this room empty?” Wanda pointed at the second door from the stairs on the second floor. She jumped back when someone opened the door from the inside.

 

“Sorry, doll.” He grinned. Wanda caught his prosthetic left arm from the corner of her eyes. A small smile crept up her face when he gave her a grin and offered a handshake.

 

“Hi. Wanda Maximoff.” She introduced herself.

 

“James Buchanan Barnes. Or Bucky.” He shook her hand and brushed his shaggy hair back with his other hand.

 

“This is my twin, Pietro.” She pulled Pietro to her side.

 

“Nice to meet you, man.” He nodded and turned to Wanda. “I’m going to look at the third and fourth floor.”

 

“Okay.” Wanda nodded and watched him took the stairs. She turned around to look at the hall with a confused look on her face.

 

“This one’s empty. That one is too. Steve lives across my room. This is Natasha’s room and this one belongs to Clint Barton.” Bucky explained. He frowned a little when he saw Wanda’s surprised face. She gave him a shy smile before she went to the door next to his.

 

“I’m sorry. I’m not used to this.” She apologized.

  
“To what?” He tilted his head.

 

“Kindness. Thank you.” It was so soft he barely hears it. She turned the doorknob and stepped inside the room, leaving him alone in the hallway.

 


	6. Natasha Loves to Kidnap People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’re new.” Natasha commented.
> 
> “I just moved into the house. James said I could come with him to the class.”

Pietro chose a room next to a Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. Phil gave him a worried look for a moment before he gave him the key. Once he was done putting away his stuff, he went to the second floor and found his twin sister sitting on the floor with another woman. She was beautiful, with her red lips and her dark brown hair. He cleared his throat to get their attention.

 

“Hey.” He smiled.

 

“Damn, you didn’t tell me your brother is hot.” Wanda laughed at Pietro’s flushed cheeks. “I’m Darcy.” She offered her hand.

 

“Pietro.” He replied. “I want to go see the track, do you want to come?” Pietro asked them. He was itching to run. This morning’s anxiety was bubbling over and he needed to let it out.

 

“I’m going to stay here, I think.” Wanda turned to Darcy with a smile on her face. “You can go if you want. You look like you need to get out of this house.”

 

Darcy looked a little skeptical at first. Wanda looked like a lost kitten and her motherly instinct kicked in when she saw her. She would’ve stayed with her and coddled her if it weren’t for her reassuring smile. _God, she’s so adorable._

 

“Call me if you need anything.” Darcy told her before she left with Pietro.

 

Wanda let out the breath she didn’t know she’s been holding on. She likes Darcy Lewis. Darcy was spunky and loud and friendly. But she needed a little peace and quiet right now. That was what makes her and Pietro so different. Pietro gravitated towards crowds and social events while she stayed at home with her books and her music. It was the only way she could stay sane after what happened.

 

“You okay?” She jumped at the sound. Her eyes were wide as she stared at her housemate. His eyebrows were knitted in confusion and worry as he leaned on the doorway with his arms crossed.

 

“Yeah.” She nodded and got up on her feet. “Are you going somewhere?” She asked when she saw the books on his left hand.

 

“I have a Russian class in 15 minutes.” He replied with a shrug. “Do you want to come?” _Dammit, Bucky, you were smoother than this._ He mentally cursed himself. His face split into a grin when she nodded.

 

“Why not?” She shrugged. Classes are good. Classes are quiet and peaceful. She also got to learn a few things. She told him to wait while she went back to her room to grab her bag and a notebook.

 

* * *

 

“Your sister is very quiet.” Darcy commented when Pietro sat next to her, his shirt drenched with sweat.

 

“She is. A lot have happened. She—“ He paused for a moment, as if trying to find the right words. “It was harder for her.” He finished.

 

“I noticed.” Darcy hummed. She offered him a water bottle, which he took gratefully. “I know about what happened.”

 

Pietro turned to her in an instant, his eyes filled with anxiety. Darcy gave him a comforting smile and patted his back.

 

“Everyone has a form and I helped Phil with it. You’re not the only one with a bad past.” She gently said. “There’s a reason why we live in the Avengers Residence.”

 

“Avengers Residence?” He raised his eyebrows in amusement.

 

“Phil named it. It sounded cool.” Darcy grinned and they went back to a lighter atmosphere as she cracked some jokes.

 

* * *

 

Natasha was already in her seat when she saw Bucky entering the classroom. She raised an eyebrow when he turned to the petite woman next to him and talked to him. _Huh. Bucky Barnes in talking to someone other than their housemates_. He looked up and caught her eyes a moment later. There was a deep scowl on his face when she gave him a teasing smirk. The woman next to him turned to her with a curious expression. _She looked familiar. I think I’ve seen her somewhere. The news?_

 

“This is Wanda Maximoff.” Bucky introduced his woman friend. Natasha bit back her laughter as she watched Bucky’s fixation on the woman.

 

“Natasha Romanoff.” She smiled and shook her hand. “Come, sit here.” She patted the seat next to her. Wanda, the woman, hesitantly sat next to her and waited for Bucky to occupy the chair next to her.

 

“You’re new.” Natasha commented.

 

“I just moved into the house. James said I could come with him to the class.”

 

“James? Really, you should call him Bucky. James is too nice.” Natasha grinned. She could see Wanda relaxed a little as they continued to talk. Well, she continued to talk and make fun of Bucky. There was nothing she enjoyed more than to make fun of his friend in front of his potential crush.

 

“I like James.” Bucky quipped. There was an adorable shade of pink on her cheeks when he said it and Wanda turned away from him. _Get a grip, Wanda._

* * *

  
_Wanda really likes Natasha Romanoff. As in she idolized the red haired woman. Natasha kidnapped her from him and took her to the library and the small coffee shop near the campus. She seemed to know the places Wanda preferred. She really likes Natasha Romanoff. And the woman kept making funny jokes and kept making her laugh. Why does she like Natasha so much?_

 

“Are you okay, Buck?” Steve turned to his friend. Bucky has been grumbling some incoherent words throughout their walk back home.

 

“Natasha stole Wanda.” He mumbled.

 

“Wanda?” Steve inquired. _This is interesting._

 

“I made a new friend.” He snapped and Steve laughed. He _laughed_.

 

“Is that the dark haired woman who was walking with Natasha?” Steve pointed at the two female figures not far from them.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“She’s pretty.” Bucky’s head turned to him and he gave Steve an exasperated look.

 

“She is! I have eyes, Bucky.” Steve rolled his eyes. _What is it with Bucky anyway? Does he like her? Yeah, he does._ Steve watched his friend trudged forward. That stupid blockhead probably won’t admit it until it was too late, Steve thought.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? thoughts? :D


	7. It's a Minimalistic Painting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He closed his eyes at his stupid response. 
> 
> 'Of all the things you can say, that’s what you’re going with, Steve? Great. What a fucking smooth move.'

Steve has always been in love with art. He would use scrap papers to practice his drawings, sketching everything that caught his eyes. It made him happy. It made his life worthwhile. Art also become his salvation after the accident. He was broken in so many places and painting seemed to be the only thing that kept him sane. He painted his nightmares. Most of the times it relaxes him. Sometimes he ended up crying on the bathroom floor with black paint staining his shirt and sweatpants.

 

He never showed his recent paintings to the public. He knew Phil had a lot of questions about it. The man bought several of his earlier paintings and _loved_ it. Steve was flattered, of course. But still, he couldn’t come up with an answer when Phil asked if he still paints. He does. He just couldn’t show it to the world. It was horrible and filled with pain and darkness. It was far different than the colorful painting he used to make.

 

He blankly stared at the sketchpad in front of him. He was in the campus park now and he was supposed to draw something. What was he supposed to draw? He couldn’t bring himself to draw the beautiful sceneries or the happy passerby. A soft tap on his shoulder snapped him out of his train of thoughts. Steve looked up and saw the face of the woman who has been sitting in front of him in every class. She looked a little abashed for a moment when she caught his eyes.

 

“Can I sit here?” She asked.

 

“Yeah.” Steve nodded and smiled at her when she let out a small sigh of relief.

 

“It’s nicer in here.” She gestured at the other side of the park. Most of the students picked that spot and Steve couldn’t blame them. The spot had the best light and a better view. But he liked this spot. It was a little dark and gloomy. It gave him a little peace of mind and she seemed to share the sentiment.

 

“I’m Steve.” He introduced himself. The brunette offered a handshake and gave him a sweet smile.

 

“Eva. I think I saw you in all of my classes.” She grinned.

 

“We took the same major and electives.” He shrugged.

 

The conversation was replaced with a comforting silence as they focused back on their own sketchpad. Steve found himself stuck in the same black hole he was in a few minutes ago. Eva didn’t look like she was having a hard time though, Steve noticed. She was busy sketching something with her pencil and Steve had to resist the urge not to crane his neck and took a peek at her work. He did get a little peek at her work from where he sat.

 

“I wasn’t doing the assignment.” She gingerly smiled and looked up from her sketchpad.

 

“That was not a water fountain.” He nodded, eliciting a titter from her. She looked at him, the corner of her eyes creased with amusement.

 

“You have good eyes.” She cheekily replied. “You didn’t draw anything.” She added, her eyes travelling from his face to his blank paper.

 

“I think it’s nice.” She continued before he could come up with an excuse. “White is a color of purity, perfection, completion and innocence.” He stared at her incredulously. “You could pass this as a minimalist take on whatever it is you’re drawing if you want. Since, you know, it fits the concept of minimalistic painting, eliminating all nonessential forms, features, or concepts and creating the simplest design with fewest elements.” She finished. “Or you could say it’s your take on the snow over there.”

 

“How-”

 

“I’ve been there.” She shrugged though he could see the strained smile on her face. “Not being able to draw something that invokes happiness. It’s hard. But it’ll come back sooner or later.” She smiled at him.

 

“You must be a pro at bullshiting your paper.” He closed his eyes at his stupid response. _Of all the things you can say, that’s what you’re going with, Steve? Great. What a fucking smooth move._ He didn’t expect her to guffawed at his remark. Her sketchpad fell from her lap as she laughed. It wasn’t just a laugh. She actually bent over and had to hold on to his shoulder so she won’t fall off the bench they were sitting on. There were tears in her eyes when she looked at him.

 

“Yeah. I got an A on our last paper.” She replied with an impish look on her face. She seemed amused by his weird sense of humor. Steve couldn’t help but to laugh along. It wasn’t until later that he realized this was the first time he laughed this freely with a stranger.

 

“You’re funny.” She commented as she gathered her papers from the ground. Her eyes twinkled as she looked at him. It made him feel _things_. He didn’t know what but it was warm and pleasant so he didn’t try to drown it.

 

“Girls were usually appalled by it.”

 

“Well, they’re stupid. Awkward jokes are the best jokes.” She shrugged. “I have to go back to my—“ she cleared her throat and her body language suddenly shifted, “my place. It’s a little late.” She told him. Her smile no longer reached her eyes and he wondered if she was having some troubles with her home. It wasn’t even late. A glance at his watch showed it was still 3 in the afternoon. He didn’t comment on it and nodded with a small smile he hoped would comfort her.

 

“I’ll see you later, then.”

 

“I’ll see you later, Steve.” She waved and walked away from him.

 

* * *

 

“A little birdie said a certain Stevie went on a little date in the campus park today.” Steve rolled his eyes when Bucky and Natasha greeted him with goofy smiles on their faces.

 

“That little birdie was wrong.”

 

“I’M NEVER WRONG!” _Of course. Clint Barton. The guy who dubbed himself the Hawkeye and the eyes of the house._ It was a ridiculous name but the guy proved him he was really good at observing stuff.

 

“She’s my classmate.” Steve explained and set his bag down on the coffee table before he sauntered off to the kitchen, his best friends trailing behind them like lost ducklings.

 

“Eva’s really nice, you know.” Clint joined the nagging team.

 

“How do you even know her name?” Steve asked, dumbfounded by Clint and his information gathering skills.

 

“She’s pretty well known even before you guys came here. There was a lot rumors about her though I suggest you take it with a grain of salt.” Clint answered. He stopped chewing on his McNuggets and sighed when he was met with three curious eyes. “One of my friends went to the same high school with her. She told me she always wore long sleeved shirts, even if the weather is scorching hot. People speculated things. Awful things.”

 

“Like self-harm?” Bucky asked, the notion hit a little too close to home.

 

“Yeah. But she’s really kind. I’ve met her twice. She was really nice.” Clint smiled sadly.

 

“I don’t think she did self-harm.” Steve spoke with a barely audible voice, his eyes darting away from them. He quietly slipped away from the kitchen, no longer feeling hungry.


	8. Wednesday Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You are a good person, Bucky. You can’t keep punishing yourself.” Natasha frowned. “They have news article on the Maximoff twins, you know. It’s in Russian and I just read what I can understand. It was not pretty.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts?? :)

_Holy shit._ Darcy’s eyes bulged out when she saw Jane and Thor snuggling on the couch _. So that’s why Jane has been missing from their movie nights for the past couple of days. Huh_. Her lips curled into a small smile as she leaned on the wall on the hallway and watched them for a few minutes before she made her presence known. Jane leapt from the couch and clutched her chest when Darcy greeted them. Thor, well, Thor looked very happy to see her just like he always do whenever someone got home.

 

“Darcy!” Jane was blushing furiously. Darcy grinned. _This is going to be so fun_.

 

“Hi, guys. Date night?” She went to the kitchen to raid the fridge. Today is a Wednesday, which means Tony and Bruce were trying to finish their papers, Steve would came home late since he likes to spend extra time in the painting room, Bucky and Natasha would be busy with their Russian papers and quizzes. Pietro was away for a therapy session (he told her about this last week). Wanda was probably cooped up in her room with her books or she could be with Natasha and Bucky. Clint was asleep, as always. She mentally gave herself a pat on her back for being so observant. _I think I deserve to eat this huge chunk of chocolate cake._

 

Jane made a weird choking noise and Darcy took it as a sign to let her scientist friend calm down a little and wait for her to come to Darcy to talk. She winked at them before she walked up the stairs. _I wonder what Wanda is up to._ Darcy stopped when she reached the second floor. She could hear the sound of paper rustling in Bucky’s and Natasha’s room and Clint’s light snore when she walked passed the doors. There was a faint song playing inside when she stopped in front of her room and knocked on the door.

 

* * *

 

 _Let’s take Russian. It’ll be easy and fun. Fun my ass._ Bucky scowled as he furiously typed his papers. He probably should’ve started the papers a week ago but come on, no one really did that. Besides, he’s been having a lot of frighteningly good days and he didn’t want to spend it working on some stupid Russian papers. He was going to ask Natasha for help but the latter seemed to be busy with her own assignments. _At least I’m not alone when it comes to procrastinating,_ he snickered to himself.

 

Bucky’s ears picked up Darcy’s voice outside. His lips automatically curved into a smile when he heard Wanda’s faint voice as she greeted Darcy. He has grown quite attached to Wanda the span of one week and it scared him shitless. The only people he let into his life were Natasha and Steve. It has always been that way since a few years ago. But then this woman waltzed into his life, all kind and lovely. Bucky didn’t even know when he started to kept his eyes on her longer than usual. _It has just been a fucking week, Bucky. Get a grip on yourself._ If he were to be honest, Wanda made him feel _things_. Things he wasn’t sure he’s worth feeling anymore.

 

The knocking on the door startled him. His eyes darted from the laptop screen to the door and he let out a small sigh when Natasha let herself in. She had her laptop on her right hand and a bunch of papers and books on her left. She grunted as she dropped them on the floor.

 

“I cannot write another paper on a Russian Literature, Barnes. I want to throw up.” Natasha sprawled herself on the carpeted floor and whined. “Do you think Wanda could help?” She suddenly asked.

 

“I don’t know. She’s probably busy with her own works, Nat.” Bucky moved his own stuff and sat next to her.

 

“I overheard Darcy’s asking her if she’s busy. She has finished all of her assignments.” Natasha replied and smirked at Bucky’s uneasy expression. “Look at you, all shy and cute.” She grinned while Bucky sent her a murderous glare.

 

“I’m not shy.” He snapped.

 

“Ask her to come here, then.” She challenged. She raised her eyebrows in amusement when Bucky looked away from her, a faint blush on his cheeks.

 

“You know, it’s okay to be attracted to her.” Natasha’s voice softened. She knew him well enough to know why he tried to so hard to restrain himself from every single thing that made him happy. One year in Russia for a student exchange program with him gave her a lot of insights on the man’s life. She was the lucky one (aside from Steve) whom he let in without a lot of fussing. Natasha thought it was because they shared a dark past and he found a kindred spirit in her.

 

Bucky only gave her his sad smile and opened his laptop. Natasha didn’t push him. He would come to her and ask her for advices when he was ready. In the mean time, she’s going to try her best to make sure he can be happy again. Besides, Wanda is a very nice woman to be around and she likes her.

 

“Wanda thanked me for being kind when we first met.” Bucky said after a long moment of silence.

 

“She always did that.” Natasha replied.

 

“I only explained the layout of the rooms, Nat. She said she’s not used to kindness.” Bucky’s knitted his eyebrows. He has been replaying the scene over and over again this past week and he couldn’t come up with an answer.

 

“Darcy read most of our files. You could ask her.” Nat suggested. It did bug her a little as well. Wanda always had this teary-eyed look every time Nat did something nice to her and Nat was not used to it. She did have a gist of why Wanda acted this way, though.

 

“I won’t. I'm just— I don’t know, scared, I think? What happened to her that made her act like this? I kept thinking about it because I sure know I’m not a good person.”

 

“You are a good person, Bucky. You can’t keep punishing yourself.” Natasha frowned. “They have news article on the Maximoff twins, you know. It’s in Russian and I just read what I can understand. It was not pretty.”

 

“What news?” Bucky turned to her with a confused expression.

 

 


	9. Too Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She stole a glance at the significantly taller man next to her and her lips curled into a tiny smile.  
> 'You really are too good, Steve Rogers.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy thanksgiving to those celebrating! Have a lovely day!   
> Tell me what you think :)

Eva was introduced to Bucky a two weeks after she and Steve started hanging out together. He asked her several questions and by the end of their meeting, Eva was so unnerved by him she almost had a panic attack. He was nice and very friendly, which made her feel a lot guiltier. _He kept staring at my arms._ That was it, she thought as she tugged the end of her sweaters’ sleeve. She noticed, even when he was trying to be inconspicuous about it.

 

“Are you okay?” Steve touched her elbow and she jumped in surprised. The look he gave her indicated he wouldn’t believe it if she said yes. Oh, Steve. He was too kind for his own good and she felt a tug in her heart when Steve gave her a small smile.

 

“I’m sorry. I must’ve spaced out.” She picked out the fallen sketchbook she didn’t even know has fell from her lap.

 

“You were having a mild panic attack.” Steve quietly said.

 

“What do you know about panic attack?” Her tone came out harsher than she intended. Hurt flashed his eyes and _God, she really feels like an asshole right now_.

 

“I’m sorry. I just…” She trailed off. Her hand absentmindedly scratched the inner part of her arm as she took several deep breaths.

 

“What is that?” It was the fear in his voice that made her froze. She looked down to her exposed arm. It was covered with scars, old and new, and bruises. She quickly pulled down the sleeves but Steve beat her to it. He took her arm and pulled up the sleeves, exposing a long jagged line of scar that has long healed. She could hear his sharp intake of breath when he saw it. His blue eyes were dark and he pursed his lips into a thin line. “Eva.” He whispered. She yanked her arm away from him and bit her trembling lips. No one was supposed to find out. It was the reason why she didn’t bother listening to the rumors about her.

 

“Don’t.” She stopped him before he could even say a word. Tears sprang in her eyes and she could hear her mother’s voice ringing her ear. _You weak girl. I should’ve thrown you in the dumpster when you were a baby. Stop crying or I’ll hit you again._ She shook her head. No. She was not going to have full blown panic attack in front of her new friend and potential crush. She could taste blood from her lips and her nails dug into her palms of her hands as she begged herself not to do this. _Please._

“Eva, you need to breathe.” Steve’s hands were warm and sturdy on her upper arms. Her pupils blown wide as she watched his face. _He was mouthing something. Breathe?_ Eva couldn’t hear anything aside from her mother’s screaming voice and the same ringing sound in her ears.

 

“Eva!” She snapped and took a gasp of air. _His eyes are so fucking blue,_ she thought when she looked at him. There was an odd calmness in his eyes as he gently rubbed her arms.

 

“Sorry. Oh God. I’m so sorry.” She blabbered, feeling the panic rising in her chest again.

 

“Relax. It’s okay.” He kept repeating the words until it sank in. Steve didn’t let go of her until he was sure she has relaxed. They spent a good ten minutes staring at each other in silence, his hands holding hers, and she couldn’t feel any safer in her life.

 

“Come on, let me take you home.” He finally said.

 

“Not home.” She choked out.

 

He grimly nodded and helped her up before he gathered their stuff, chucking it inside his own messenger bag. He held her hand and gave her a comforting smile when she felt tears brimming in her eyes.

 

“Do you want to finish this project in my place?” He softly asked.

 

“Yes, please.” Her answer was a little rushed but she couldn’t care less. She couldn’t go back to her home. Not right now. Steve didn’t say anything afterwards. He understood. That thought alone brought another fresh wave of tears into her eyes. She stole a glance at the significantly taller man next to her and her lips curled into a tiny smile. _You really are too good, Steve Rogers._

* * *

Bucky was surprised to see Steve home early. He was more surprised to see Steve with Eva. He was lounging on the couch with Natasha and Darcy (who kept asking them to come to some kind of party tomorrow) when Steve walked in. Natasha and Darcy were ready to blurted out some teasing commentary on his ‘date’ (Bucky happily filled them in on his first meeting with Eva) when they saw Eva standing behind him. _Is she shaking? Did something happened?_ Bucky’s mind raced as he kept his eyes on her. She looked ghostly pale and her lips were swollen, probably because she kept biting them, just like what she was doing right now. There were tear tracks on her face as well, Bucky noticed.

 

“Hey.” Darcy put herself together and gave them a smile. “Welcome to the Avengers Residence. I’m Darcy. This is Natasha.” Natasha stayed quiet, her eyes glued on the anxious woman next to Steve. Steve gently pulled her closer and led her towards them. Bucky’s frown deepened when his sharp eyes caught a scar peeking out of her slightly pulled up sleeves.

 

“I’m Eva.” Her voice was too sharp and forced, not at all like the one he heard when she greeted him few hours earlier.

 

“We’re going to finish some projects.” Steve explained.

 

“Do you want to have dinner with us? Tony and Bruce were busy with their science stuff, as always.”

 

“I’ve never met them. Isn’t that weird?” Bucky turned his attention to Darcy.

 

“No. They’re just good at making excuses to not join the mandatory dinner.” Darcy rolled her eyes before she focused back on Eva. “So, dinner?”

 

“Uhm, yeah. Sure.” She swallowed thickly. “Thank you, Darcy.” She quietly added.

 

“Come on, let them finish their works. You can help me cook. I’ll tell you stuff about Wanda.” Darcy dragged Bucky away from them. Bucky couldn’t hear the rest of the conversation but he could see Natasha giving the woman a consoling smile before she followed them to the kitchen.

 

 


	10. A Sense of Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else, if it was anyone else, she would’ve bolted out the room, away from the house. But this was Steve. Steve, who patiently waited for her to speak. So speak she did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thank you for reading the story :)  
> Let me know what you think

Natasha rolled her eyes when Bucky’s eyes darted towards the stairs for the thousandth times since they were assigned tasks to help Darcy with dinner. He always has a soft spot for broken people, she realized, or more like a radar. Her heart swelled at the thought. This man, who always thinks he’s not a decent human being, who would readily blame himself for everything, was so eager to reach out to those who need help. She supposed that what made her fell in love with him few years ago. A ghost of smile flashed across her face as she picked another carrot from the basket. Relationships are tricky. They did try it, hoping it could help heal some wounds in their hearts. It didn’t work out, of course. They’re destructive, they just have too much darkness within them and they weren’t ready to let it go. She was cutting her third carrot when she realized that she still loves him. It was a different kind of love, she noted.

 

“You’re thinking too much.” Wanda’s soft voice startled her. She smiled her shy smile and pointed at the carrot in her hand. “You’ll cut your finger.”

 

“I’m good with knives.” Natasha grinned. Her smile faltered at the sight of Wanda’s hesitant expression. “What is it?” She dropped her voice low enough so no one but Wanda could hear it. Natasha secretly thanked Phil for having this humongous kitchen.

 

“Is James okay?” _James? Oh._ Natasha sometimes forgot that Wanda was the only person Bucky allowed to call him James. Clint tried it once and Bucky smacked him with a huge pillow. Wanda took a step back, clearly worried when Natasha didn’t react but she quickly put her hand on the younger woman’s shoulder and gave her a small smile.

 

“He’s fine. You should go talk to him. I think he’d like that.” Natasha mentally patted herself in the back for being a good wing-woman. Wanda took few tentative steps towards Bucky and said a few words, which the latter replied quickly. Natasha snorted and went back to her vegetables.

 

* * *

Steve came downstairs once to get two glasses of water. He blatantly ignored Bucky’s hard stare and _not-so-smoothly_ steered the conversation towards Darcy’s weirdly colored beef stew and Natasha’s overly-chopped vegetables. He quickly disappeared back into his room when he was done making small talks with them. Eva was still sitting at his bed, her back against the corner and her knees tucked under her chin, as if trying to make herself disappear. The rocking has stopped at least, he thought. He could understand why she picked the bed as her go-to place. It was strategically placed at the far corner of the room, giving her full view of the room, including the door and the large window. Steve couldn’t help but to feel angry. At what, or whom, he didn’t know. He was just angry for her.

 

“Here’s some water.” He smiled.

 

“I’m really sorry.” She spoke softly.

 

“It’s not your fault, you know that, right? It’s never your fault.” His face hardened, her words and her expression triggered a painful memory just two years ago. It was just like this, apologies over apologies until they were too tired to say it. He slowly took a seat on the edge of the bed, maintaining a respectful distance between them. “Do you want to tell me about that?” He asked.

 

She looked away from his eyes. She wasn’t supposed to be this weak, she swore. She was strong. Twenty-one years of living with Mrs. Moore made her strong, she stressed out. Anyone else, if it was anyone else, she would’ve bolted out the room, away from the house. But this was Steve. Steve, who patiently waited for her to speak. So speak she did.

 

 

“My mother.” Those two words that came out of her lips were enough of an answer for Steve. He started to piece everything together. Her timely arrival and departure from campus ground, her stiff posture when she was around strangers, how her smile was sometimes forced and cold when she talked to their classmates. Steve felt another pang of guilt for not noticing sooner.

 

“It’s not your fault, you know that right?” She copied his words with a faint smile on her face. He chuckled and shook his head.

 

“I know. I just thought that with what has happened, I would be more…” he paused, trying to find the right word for it. “more aware of this.”

 

“I’ll be fine, Steve. I’ve been okay for this long.” He detected a hint of sadness and submission in her voice. “It’s either me or my sister. I’m okay.”

 

“No one should be—“ he shook his head in frustration. Self-sacrificing. That hit home real quick.

 

“Hey, dinner’s ready.” Steve let out a string of curse when Bucky suddenly opened the door, causing her to jumped back in surprised. Her eyes wide and he watched her took in Bucky’s figure on the doorway before she calmed down. “Sorry. I should’ve knocked.” Bucky apologized.

 

“It’s okay. I’m-I’m fine.” She took a deep breath and gave the men a shaky smile.

 

Bucky watched her slowly crawled off the bed and patted Steve’s shoulder, mumbling thank you before she put on her shoes. He frowned again. He seemed to be doing that a lot today, he realized. Eva still looked a little shaky but she seemed adamant on having dinner together, so he let her passed. Steve still sat on the bed, his face stoic. Bucky knew that face. He was angry, livid even. He knew it must’ve been about Eva, so he didn’t push.

 

“Your girl is going to eat and you’re staying here?” Bucky said with a smirk.

 

“Shut up, jerk. She’s not my girl.” Steve replied with a scowl on his face, the faint smile on his face doesn’t escaped Bucky’s eyes.

 

* * *

 

Eva enjoyed her dinner with her new friends. Enjoyed was not enough to express how she felt about her first dinner with them. She was introduced to the other inhabitants: Clint Barton, who live for coffee and sleep (or so he says), Wanda Maximoff, who was quiet except when Bucky and her brother talked to her, and Pietro Maximoff, the other half of the Maximoff, who can barely keep still throughout the diner. They chatted a lot, much to her surprise. She wasn’t used to this must chattering during dinner. So yes, enjoyed would be an understatement, she realized. She felt happy. She felt at home.

 

She offered to wash the dishes when they were done. Everyone immediately said no except for Clint. He looked at her and stood up from his chair, motioning her to follow him to the kitchen. He pointed his finger towards the sink and went back to the dining room to grab the dirty plates. She let out a breath of relief and turned on the sink to wash her plate. She needed something to do, something to distract her.

 

“You should leave that place.” She froze when Clint spoke out. He stood next to her, helping her set the plates on the rack. Her eyes automatically went to her arms.

 

“My dad did the same thing to me. My mom would watch and not do anything.” Clint spoke again. She turned to him and waited for him to continue. “He was a respectable person, you know. Everyone loved my parents. And it was weird. They would give me stuff and were kind some days, then they turned into this… this monsters when I did something wrong.”

 

“I can’t leave.” She quietly said, turning her attention back to the plates.

 

“Yes, you can.”

 

“No, I _can’t.”_ She sternly replied. “I-I have a sister. She’s still 14. My mom would hurt her if I leave. I have to stay. I have to keep her safe.”

                                                                            

 


	11. Hypothetically Speaking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Then take her with you. People talk about running away all the time, but you have every reason to do it. It's okay to ask for help."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Sorren for the lovely opening line :)

"Then take her with you. People talk about running away all the time, but you have every reason to do it. It's okay to ask for help." 

 

“Everything okay?” Eva turned around to find Steve standing by the kitchen entrance, worry plastered all over his face.

 

“Yeah. We’re just talking.” Clint answered for them and walked out of the room to give them some space.

 

“How much did they hear?” She asked him. He stopped drying a bowl and blushed. “It’s okay. I’m not mad, Steve.” She smiled.

 

“The part about your sister.” Steve answered. “They understand, you know.”

 

“That doesn’t mean I should unload everything to you and your friends.” She frowned. “I just met them, Steve. That’s no way to make friends.”

 

“I care about you, Eva.” He mumbled. She turned off the sink and turned her whole body to face him. Her eyes shone bright and she had a lovely smile on her face. Steve felt his chest constricted. _God_ , _I really like her._

“Thank you.” She wrapped her arms round his neck and pulled him into a hug. “Let go back to the living room.” She added.

 

“I should go back.” Eva’s voice made everyone looked up from the TV. Natasha grimly nodded and quickly pulled the woman into a tight hug.

 

“I know a good lawyer if you need one. Or a hitman. Whatever you need.” She told Eva.

 

“Stop scaring her out, Nat.” Bucky chuckled. “But seriously, though. She knows them.”

 

“Thank you.” Eva felt herself grinning, her anxiety pushed back for a moment. They all take turn hugging her, letting her know that she’s not alone. The thought alone made her want to laugh and cry at the same time. Here they are, a group of strangers she just met, who are better at loving her than her own mother.

 

“I’ll take you home.” Steve led her to the door.

 

* * *

 

“Nat gave me the number of her lawyer friend. Matt Murdock? She said he’ll be able to help me with this legal guardianship thing.” She said, her eyes occasionally darted to their intertwined hands.

 

“That’s good. Are you going to call him? Matt’s a nice guy and a great lawyer.”

 

“I think I will. I’m going to talk to my sister. Let her know what’s going to happen. I need to sort out some other things as well.” She replied with an easy smile. “That’s my house.” She added, her finger pointing the house few feet away from them.

 

The first that came into Steve’s mind was how nice her house was. It looked like it came out of a housing catalogue. Then Eva came back into his mind and he was filled with a sense of dread as they walked towards the front of her house. He held her hand a little tighter, wishing they could just turn around and leave this place. _OH._ An idea popped into his head.

 

“Well, I better go now. Thank you, Steve.” She tiptoed to kiss his cheek.

 

“Eva?” He called her before she got inside. She turned back with a confused expression.

 

“Hypothetically speaking.” Steve started. He swallowed thickly before he continued, “If there was a place for you in the residence and there are ways to get you and your sister to leave this place, would you do it?”

 

Her lips curled into another smile and Steve forgot to breathe for a moment.

 

“Hypothetically speaking.” She replied, “I will be happy to accept the offer.” She finished.

 

“Good.” He choked back a relieved laughter. He ran his hand through his hair and gave her a small wave. “Good night, Eva.”

 

“Good night, Steve.” She whispered.

 

* * *

Wanda stayed back when everyone else went back to their respective rooms. She leaned back onto the soft leather couch, her body relaxing as she took in the silence. She loved her new friends. She does. But she was the textbook definition of an introvert and she needed times to be alone after a long day with her friends. She stared at the TV with a somber smile. She never thought she would be able to go this far. Her past was not something she likes to talk about with her friends but she knew they know about what happened back in Sokovia. She couldn’t be more grateful to have friends that understand her.

 

A scene in the movie brought her a certain memory and she took a sharp intake of breath as she relived her worst nightmare. _There was a lot of blood. She held the knife with her shaky hands. Pietro was unconscious next to her. She didn’t mean to do it. She swore. The police will be here any minute. They’re going to take her, aren’t the—_ “Wanda?” Bucky’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked down on her tightly clenched fists before she looked at him. His eyes laced with worry as he stood near the coffee table.

 

“Are you okay?” He asked.

 

“Yeah—Just had a little flashback.” She forced a smile. He saw right through it and sat next to her. His hands gently took hers and he slowly rubbed tiny circles on her wrist to help her relax.

 

“It has been an intense day, huh?” He smiled.

 

“Yes.” She grimly nodded, remembering her new friend, Eva, and the scars on her arms that reminded her of Sokovia. “I thought you were asleep.” She turned to him.

 

“I heard the TV and saw you.” He shrugged.

 

She smiled back before leaning closer into him. He automatically released her hands so he could wrap his arm around her. She snuggled closer, pressing her ear near his chest to listen to his steady heartbeat. It didn’t take long for her to fell asleep after that.

 

* * *

“Natasha, you need to relax.” Clint told her. He was sprawled on her fluffy carpet while watching Natasha paced around the room.

 

“I cannot relax. I don’t like what happened to Eva. We need to do something, Barton.” She said.

 

“I don’t like it either. There’s nothing we can do.” He murmured.

 

“We could hire a hitman.”

 

“NO.”  


“Matt. I should call Matt and ask him about this.” She paused and quickly walked back to her bed to get her phone.

 

“It’s almost 2 A.M, Nat. I’m pretty sure the guy’s asleep. You’ve been pacing around for hours. You need sleep.” Clint gently chided.

 

“I’m worried about her.” She spoke out after a moment of silence.

 

“I know. She really grows on you, huh?” he chuckled.

 

“She made Steve happy. That’s enough reason for me to like her.” Natasha shrugged. “Besides, she gave me a lovely drawing of a ballerina.” She added with a small smile.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thoughts?


	12. A Hot Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Yeah.” She laughed. “I just love my friends.” Yeah, Darcy loved her friends more than anything in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The past couple of chapters were a little dark so i hope this would balance it out lol
> 
> Tell me what you think! Thank you for the comments. I love talking about what you think about the stories and the characters so feel free to say anything :)

“Are you sure you don’t want to go with me?” Darcy asked them for the umpteenth time.

 

“No.” Jane shook her head. She has better things to do. Like Thor, for example.

 

“I don’t even like Richards.” Clint muttered.

 

“Who is Richards?” Tony looked up in confusion.

 

“That guy who tried to beat you at everything.” Bruce offered an explanation.

 

“Oh. Yeah, no. Sorry, Darcy. You should ask the other tenants. Who are they again?” Tony frowned.

 

“Rogers, Barnes, Romanoff, and the Maximoffs?”

 

“Ugh, they don’t like parties, Steve was busy pining over a girl, and Pietro had something with his track team.” Darcy grumbled. She put on her black heels before she got up from the couch. “Fine. I’ll go have fun by myself. You guys are no fun.”

 

“Bye, Darcy!” They nonchalantly waved at her and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes again. _What a bunch of nerds._ She closed the door behind her and quickly went on her way. _Let’s have some fun._

 

Darcy loved a good party, especially a party held at the Richards. Sure, Reed Richards was a dick most of the time but he threw great parties. _Rich kids._ Darcy rolled her eyes. It was not a secret that Reed Richards was the second richest after Tony Stark and that he strived to be better than Tony (like that’s possible). She still couldn’t understand why he tried so hard to beat Tony at everything. But she was sure nothing beats her confusion of when her friend Susan started to date Reed. Now, Susan Storm, also known as Sue, was a lovely woman. Darcy went to summer camp with her for a few years. Which was why she couldn’t understand how a woman like Sue would want to be with a man like Reed.

 

“Darce!” Sue’s voice broke her train of thoughts. The latter was wearing a simple white lacy dress and a pair of pink flats. She pulled Darcy inside the house, snapping at some frat boys who tried to hit on Darcy.

 

“How are you? It’s so good to see you again! I didn’t know you would come.” She blabbered.

 

“Slow down, Sue!” Darcy laughed. Her friend was already tipsy and she looked like an excited child.

 

“Oh! Have you met my brother?” Sue asked.

 

“No. He never came to the camp, remember?” Darcy replied as she looked around for drinks. “I’m going to get some drinks, okay? You wait here.”

 

“I’ll find Johnny. I think he’s upstairs.” Sue shook her head and quickly disappeared among the crowds. Darcy shook her head in amusement before she made her way to the kitchen.

 

* * *

Darcy couldn’t remember what happened. One moment she was standing by the dining table, beer in her hand; the next she felt her body thrown to a wall. She groaned in pain as she tried to open her eyes. _Is that fire? Holy shit. The house is on fire?!_ Darcy used the table to help her up and she wobbled on her spot. _Fucking headache._ She winced a little and tried to find her way out of the house.

 

“SUE?” Darcy screamed, trying to find her friend. She would never forgive herself if Sue didn’t make it out alive. The screaming worsened her headache yet she still trudged towards the stairs. She had to get Sue.

 

“Hey! You need to leave!” A guy called out. She couldn’t see his face due to the smoke in the house. He tried to carry her back downstairs but she struggled away.

 

“I need to find Sue.” She whimpered. _God, this headache is killing me._

 

“Sue’s already out, darling. You need to get out as well.” He grinned and she finally saw his face for the first time as he carried her out of the house. _Damn._

 

He quickly put her down on the grass. He let out a breath of relief as he lied down on the wet grass. She sat next to him in a daze. _What the hell just happened?_

 

“You’re Sue’s friend?” He asked.

 

“Yeah. We met at the summer camp.” Darcy nodded, her eyes fixated on the large bruise on her arm. She was sure her back didn’t look any better, considering the pain she was in.

 

“Are you okay?” He quickly sat up when he saw her winced.

 

“My head hurts.” She mumbled before everything turned black. _For fuck’s sake._

* * *

 

Darcy woke up to the faint beeping noise. She blinked her eyes a couple of times, adjusting her eyes to the blinding light in the room. Her hand felt heavy. _What is that mop of blond doing in here?_ She thought when she saw the same guy resting his head on the side of her bed. He jumped awake when she tried to move her hand.

 

“Oh, you’re awake!” He grinned.

 

“No shit.”

 

“I like you, Darcy.” He had a mischievous smile on his face as he sat back on the chair.

 

“Who are you?” She frowned. The drugs have done wonders to her body; she could barely feel any pain.

 

“Johnny. Johnny Storm.”

 

“Sue’s brother?”

 

“Yup. Your friends are here, by the way. They don’t look too happy with Reed.” He snorted. “One of them, the woman, actually punched him in the face because Reed said, ‘This is not my fault’ “ Johnny told her. Darcy stifled an embarrassed whine.

 

“Was it Natasha? Or Jane? I’m pretty sure that’s Jane.”

 

“No. She’s called Wanda, I think. She’s with the metal arm, which is a very cool thing. Your friend Jane offered to punch him as well.” Johnny shrugged.

 

Darcy snapped her head towards him in surprise, wincing at the slight pain in her head. _Wanda? Wanda who barely said anything when Tony teased her and her brother. Who didn’t even cry when someone made fun of her accent a week ago._ The thoughts warmed her heart. She didn’t realized she was crying until Johnny wiped the tears away from her face.

 

“You okay?”

 

“Yeah.” She laughed. “I just love my friends.” Yeah, Darcy loved her friends more than anything in the world.

 


	13. Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He closed his eyes for a brief moment before he trudged back into his seat. She didn’t say anything when he hesitantly rested his head on her lap. She smiled and gently ran her fingers through her hair. Bucky closed his eyes and let out the breath he’s been holding on. He could hear her hummed a familiar tune. A lullaby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Bucky x Wanda! Tell me what you think! :)

_The song mentioned is called **[Cossack Lullaby](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oshON1NsjPY)**_

 

Bucky didn’t remember most of his life before the accident. He had come to terms with that, in a way. Steve told him it was okay, that the memories would come to him eventually and they could always make new ones. Natasha told him it never mattered anyway. That past was just a bitter reminder of your life. He should’ve believed that. But he couldn’t. Not when Natasha’s eyes were hardened and Steve’s were filled with pain.

 

He vividly remembered the accident. He never told Steve and Natasha about it. He remembered how the car swerved to the other side and how he couldn’t stop the car. He remembered the crash and cold snow that covered his feet when he tried to get out of the car. Bucky didn’t remember a lot but he remembered the accident like it was yesterday. He remembered faces he never saw again. Steve cried a lot when he woke up. Peggy. He recalled hearing that name during the accident. He remembered her bloodied sweater. Shivers ran through him as he forced himself to remember more. There were some other people. Friends? He couldn’t remember their faces, though. Steve tried to get them out of the car. Bucky was too hurt to move a muscle. But he could still see the explosion afterwards that threw Steve few feet away from him. His breath hitched when he recalled another car. There were people inside. _Did I kill them too?_ He couldn’t ask Steve. Steve would know and would tell him it wasn’t his fault. He was behind the wheels. He was very much at fault.

 

It’s funny how the worst memory was the one that always cling with us.

 

* * *

 

Bucky’s second nightmare happened when everyone was out to visit Darcy in the hospital. He thought he could spend some time with Wanda (she was kicked out of the hospital after punching Richard Reeds in the face). He wasn’t a fan of hospitals, which was one of the main reasons why he offered to take her back home. They decided to open a tub of ice cream and watched some Netflix shows in his laptop in his room. She helped put some pillows on the carpet and comfortably rested her head on his left shoulder. Bucky wanted to cry when he saw her smile. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders after a while and smiled when she didn’t pull away. Bucky didn’t remember much about his past lovers but he was sure it has never felt like this. _Steve would laugh if I told him I’m in love with Wanda._

 

* * *

 

He remembered the snow. The freezing cold and the pain that follows. He couldn’t move. His arm. Oh God, his arm. He could hear screaming. The car. Someone was inside the car. They were screaming. But he couldn’t move. The flame swallowed the car and the people inside. Bucky tried to get up. He let out a cry. _I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. Please._ It was so cold. Steve. Steve wasn’t dead, was he? God, he didn’t know what he’d do if Steve died. And the woman. Steve’s woman? Her white sweater was now red. Did he kill her too? And their friends? They were lying on the snow, unmoving and Bucky swore there were more red than white that day.

 

Everything suddenly changed. He was now sitting inside a moving car, his hands on the steering wheel. There was laughter. Steve sat next to him and he was trying to get to his woman. Peggy. He was trying to get to Peggy but someone stopped him. They laughed some more. Bucky chuckled but he couldn’t shake away the notion that something was about to go wrong. Then he saw it. The truck that swerved in front of them and he had to make a sharp turn to avoid getting hit by it. They let out strings of curses. They were relieved for a moment before he saw the car right in front of them. _No. Not this again._ His grip on the steering wheel tightened.

 

“James!” Bucky’s eyes cleared and he quickly pushed himself away from Wanda. She clutched her reddening neck and Bucky swore he could see slight bruise around her neck.

 

“Oh no.” He mumbled.

 

“Hey, it’s okay. You had a nightmare.” She approached him and he snarled at her. She shouldn’t’ be near him. He was a killer. He tried to hurt her.

 

“Get away from me, Wanda.” His voice was hoarse. Wanda didn’t move from her spot. She gave him a small smile and took another step towards him.

 

“I wasn’t supposed to touch you. I should know. I’m sorry.” She apologized. _Why would she apologize? I hurt her._ Bucky looked away from her.

 

“I hurt you.” He finally said.

 

“Well, I hurt you too.” She gestured at the nail marks on his arm. “I tried to wake you up but you kept screaming and thrashing around.”

 

“I could’ve killed you.” He said again, tearing up at the thought of Wanda dying.

 

“You didn’t. Bucky, I understand how you felt. It’s okay. Just,” She took a deep breath and patted the empty space next to her. “Just come back here, please?”

 

He closed his eyes for a brief moment before he trudged back into his seat. She didn’t say anything when he hesitantly rested his head on her lap. She smiled and gently ran her fingers through her hair. Bucky closed his eyes and let out the breath he’s been holding on. He could hear her hummed a familiar tune. A lullaby. He smiled as a memory from his time in Russia with Natasha came back.

 

_‘I will die from yearning,_

_Inconsolably waiting,_

_I'll pray the whole day long,_

_And at night I'll wonder,_

_I'll think that you're in trouble_

_Far away in a strange land._

_Sleep now, as long as you know no sorrow.’_

 

* * *

 

Bucky almost screamed out her name when he woke up and found out she wasn’t there. He scanned the room and panic rose in him. Did she leave? Did she tell everyone about last night? He was too deep in his thoughts he jumped when he heard a clanking noise. Bucky quickly went out o his room and descended the stairs.

 

He didn’t know how to describe his emotion when he saw her standing in the kitchen with a plate of pancakes on her hand. _Love? This has got to be more than love_. His heart ached when she gave him a startled smile.

 

“You’re awake! I was going to bring this up to you.”

 

“You’re here.” He breathed out, his feet bringing him closer to her.

 

“Yes. Are you okay?” She let out a tiny yelp when he pulled her into a tight hug. He buried his face in her hair. He felt her arms around his torso and he relaxed.

 

“I wouldn’t leave you, James.” She mumbled. Bucky didn’t know he was crying until she pulled away and used her hand to wipe away his tears. She didn’t stop smiling as she told him about the burnt pancakes she had to throw away. Bucky’s lips curled into a smile as he watched her with fond eyes. Bucky might not remember much. But he remembered how to love and he was damn sure he loves her.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	14. Cold Winter Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The loud knocking on the door jerked him off for a moment. He turned his eyes back to his project. A loud curse escaped his lips when he noticed a broken wire. This better be important.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry christmas! 
> 
> Tell me what you think about the story so far! :)

Tony found himself hunched over a prototype in a Christmas Eve. Everyone was out to celebrate an early Christmas. He didn’t feel like going. The cold winter reminded him of his parents’ death and Tony wasn’t going to drown himself in sorrow this Christmas. Alone is better, he thought. No one could hurt him when he was alone. He suddenly wondered when did he start to think that way. He wasn’t this bitter and pessimistic, wasn’t he? He thought he could remember his childhood with his parents. No, his mother.

 

His mother was the most prominent figure in his life. She made him feel safe and at home. He remembered the day she bought home a truckload of junk just so he could tinker with it. Maria Stark. The most beautiful woman who shouldn’t have died so soon. Howard Stark was another thing. He barely remembered his presence. For all he knows, Howard was too busy to be with his son and Tony found it easier to ignore the dejected feeling he felt than to throw tantrum.He took a deep breath before he continued his project. This whole Christmas thing was going to kill him someday.

 

The loud knocking on the door jerked him off for a moment. He turned his eyes back to his project. A loud curse escaped his lips when he noticed a broken wire. _This better be important._

 

“JARVIS? Who was it?” He asked to the AI he built for the house.

 

“I’m afraid I do not recognize the people, Mr. Stark.”

 

“People?”

 

“There are two women, sir. I’m afraid one of them looked a little distraught.”

 

Tony sighed again and made his way downstairs. _Why do I even picked this floor?_ All his thoughts scattered when he finally opened the door. There was a red haired woman with a huge suitcase near her and another one who was crying. Her dark wavy hair covered her face but he was pretty sure the woman was just as pretty as the redhead.

 

“Is this the Avengers’ Mansion?” The redhead frowned a little as she spoke.

 

“Yes. Who are you?”

 

“Pepper Potts. Phil said I could move in today.” She thinly smiled as she tried to coax the other woman to get inside.

 

“I think you should step away for a moment.” Tony spoke out. He knew when someone was having a panic attack and that erratic breathing from her was a sign of one. He slowly crouched in front of her and offered her a smile.

 

“My name is Tony Stark. Do you need anything?”

 

“Steve.” She managed to breathe out and lifted her head to look at him. It was when he noticed the bruising on her face and Tony felt his heart drop. He finally took a good look at her. Her hair was strewn over his face, her lips were bleeding, and he saw the dark purple bruise on her shoulder. He quickly ran inside to grab the coat from the hanger so he could wrap it around her small figure. He would need to find her new clothes, he thought, noticing the torn sweater and scraped leggings.

 

“Steve? Steve Rogers?” Tony asked again and she nodded.

 

“She’s been here for a few hours, I think.” Pepper spoke out. “I just arrived and she told me she got here at 7.” She added when Tony gave her a confused look.

 

“You’re freezing. Come on, let’s get you inside.” He tried to touch her hand. It was a huge mistake, apparently. She flinched away from him and a little sob escaped her.

 

“Sorry.” She mumbled.

 

“It’s okay. Come on. Pepper and I can keep you company while we wait for Steve.”

 

“Okay.” The woman whispered softly and wobbled as she stood up.

 

“Can I have your name?” Pepper gently asked.

 

“Eva. Eva Moore.” She replied with a tiny smile when Pepper flashed her a comforting smile.

 

* * *

Steve was trying to get himself to enjoy the karaoke when Natasha finally told him about his constantly ringing phone. He got up from the couch and stepped outside to get a better signal.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Steve Rogers?” Steve froze for a moment. This was supposed to be Eva’s phone. Did something happen to her?

 

“Yes?”

 

“Oh good. This is your fellow housemate, Tony Stark. I think you should come back.”

 

“Tony? Why?” He frowned. “Why are you using Eva’s phone?”

 

“She’s here and I think you really need to come back. She’s hurt.” Tony didn’t have say anything to get Steve come back. He ended the call, shoving his phone to his pocket, and ran inside to tell his friends he was going home.

 

“Why?” Darcy whined. Bucky gave him a weird look.

 

“Something happened to Eva. Sorry.” He apologized.

 

“We’ll go with you.” Bucky and Natasha stood. Steve didn’t miss the moment when Bucky offered his hand to Wanda.

 

 

 


	15. Wintry Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hello, Darcy.” She quietly smiled, wincing a little when she moved her lips. “I’m sorry for ruining your Christmas night out.”
> 
> Darcy didn’t say anything. She couldn’t. She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Her feet brought her to Eva and she touched the woman’s cheeks with her hand. 
> 
> “You look horrible, Eva.” She choked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to make Tony not look like a douche or jerk. He's a human being and i want to portray him as one. So.. thoughts? :D :D

Eva didn’t know how much time has passed since the pretty lady, Pepper Potts, helped her to the couch in the living room. The man, Tony Stark, gave her several blankets to keep her warm and offered her a bottle of whisk, a failed attempt at comforting her but made her smile nevertheless. She still didn’t know what was happening around her. It might’ve been a few hours or a few minutes, but she found herself not caring anymore. She heard the door clicked and approaching footsteps. She remembered that voice, she tried to reassure herself. Steve. Steve Rogers, she repeated until she finally found the courage to look up. His blue eyes stared back at her and she slowly unwrapped herself to reach out her hands. He immediately crouched in front of her and pulled her into a hug, careful not to hurt her. She was safe, she heard him said. She was safe and she will never have to step her foot in that hellhole.

 

Tony watched the two of them in silence. He knew that feeling very well, he thought to himself. Wanting to give the pair a little privacy, he slid his gaze towards the shaggy-haired man standing behind the couch near two petite women and he took a sharp intake of breath. That face. He knew that face. His heart raced as realization dawned upon him. The wintry cold when the cop came knocking at his door with the reports. He felt nauseous and had to tighten the grip on the kitchen counter to stop himself from falling.

 

“Are you okay?” It was Pepper who came up to him with her small soft smile. She held out a glass of water for him and watched him gulped it in one go. “Do you want to help me with my bags?” She didn’t need any help, he noticed. But she waited for him to nod before she turned to the quintet in the living room.

 

“I’m going to find my room.” She announced and added something he couldn’t hear. He felt dizzy. The man was staring at him in equal shock. He must’ve realized who he was, based on the look on his face. Tony mustered a smile. _Not his fault. This is not his fault_. He chanted. Tony quickly looked away before the man could say anything.

 

* * *

 

The whole interaction didn’t go unnoticed by Natasha. She quietly watched Bucky and Tony exchanged eye contacts, noticing Wanda’s confused expression when Bucky tensed by her side. Tony quickly left the room with their new tenant, Pepper Potts. She heard Bucky exhaled in relief when they finally disappeared to the upper floor.

 

“Her sister.” Wanda softly spoke, enough for the two of them to hear. “What about her sister?”

 

“Should we ask her?” Bucky frowned. “She just calmed down.” Natasha bit back an amused smile at how surprised Bucky looked when he saw Steve hugging Eva.

 

“She must be okay. Eva wouldn’t leave if her sister was still in that house.” Natasha said.

 

Steve walked over to them fifteen minutes later, his face filled with anger that Natasha didn’t know he could have.

 

“Her sister was away on a field trip with her schoolmates. Eva said she needs to pick Becca up tomorrow before her mother come.”

 

“Have you met her?” Wanda voiced everyone’s curiosity and the blush on Steve’s cheeks was enough answer for them.

 

“A few times. She’s a nice kid.”

 

“We’ll pick her up tomorrow.” Natasha said and gave Eva a smile when the woman turned around in surprise. “Tell Becca about us so we could get her. You need rest.”

 

 

* * *

 

The rest of the crew (as Darcy liked to call it) went back not long after Steve, Bucky, Natasha, and Wanda left. They were too worried about what was happening to be having fun. The drive home was nerve-wrecking, at least it was for Darcy. She didn’t know what happened with Eva to make her friends flee in seconds. She played scenarios over scenarios in her head, hoping nothing is as bad as she thought.

 

It was worse than she thought. That was her first thought when she stormed inside to meet her new bestie. Eva was still on the couch, her body leaning against Steve’s chest while Natasha tried to clean up her… wounds? Darcy swallowed back the lump in her throat. There were a lot of bloodied cotton balls on the coffee table and she could see Natasha’s hands movement to know she was stitching her up. She shakily took a few steps closer to reach the living room, not trusting her voice to not waver when she saw Eva’s face.

 

“Hello, Darcy.” She quietly smiled, wincing a little when she moved her lips. “I’m sorry for ruining your Christmas night out.”

 

Darcy didn’t say anything. She couldn’t. She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Her feet brought her to Eva and she touched the woman’s cheeks with her hand.

 

“You look horrible, Eva.” She choked out.

 

“I know.” Eva was grinning. Steve and Natasha looked a lot more relaxed when they heard Eva’s light chuckle.

 

“You look like you need tons of ice cream and cookies.” Darcy was not crying. She was not a crybaby, she chastised herself. But the tears kept rolling down as she sat next to her.

 

“I look like shit.”

 

“You do.” She cried and laughed when Natasha told her to shut up so she could concentrate.

 

They giggled until Natasha and Steve left them to talk. Steve looked a little hesitant at first, Darcy noted. But Eva gave him her usual bright smile and the latter walked out with a somewhat goofy smile on his face.

 

They didn’t spoke for a long while. Darcy had her arm wrapped around the smaller woman. She was humming a song when Eva pulled away to gave her a hug.

 

“You’re a good friend, Darcy.”

 

Darcy was not the smartest person in the whole world, she knows that. She was not a smart person, period. Her grades ranged from A to D throughout her school years and she was okay with that. She has come to terms with the fact that she was nothing but ordinary. She made it up by being a very social person. She didn’t realize it was something she should be proud of until she was sitting in the living room next to Eva. She was a good friend for her. The thought of it made her want to cry.

 

“Do you need anything, Eva?” She asked Eva with teary eyes.

 

“No. I just want to sleep.” Eva’s eyes dimmed a little.

 

“Okay. Come on.” Darcy beamed and helped her on her feet.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! It's 2016! thank you for sticking with me :)   
> Tell me what you think? :)


	16. A Different Point of View

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “He’s here again.”
> 
>  
> 
> “Yes.” Wanda nodded. She climbed down from her bed and quietly crept out. She needed to save their mother. She was weak but Wanda was not. Pietro let out a silent curse as he followed her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a very angsty chapter. But more Darcy-Johnny and Bucky-Wanda! yay!

Johnny Storm watched as his new best friend staggered towards him. Darcy had called him ten minutes ago, asking if he was busy. It was the tone of her voice that made his heart lurched. She sounded like she had been crying earlier and Johnny didn’t like sad Darcy. He mustered a small smile as she buried her face in his chest. If this were any other girl, he’d make a flirty comment that may lead to a one-night stand in his bedroom upstairs. But this was Darcy. The Darcy Lewis who was not apologetic when she told him Richard was a dick. The woman who was not afraid to call him out on his shitty behaviors (he was drunk and it was one time). So he did what he thought a good best friend would do. He wrapped his arms around her smaller body. She was warm and he almost let out a content sigh when he held her tighter.

 

“Better?” He asked after a while. They must’ve looked ridiculous right now. Two people hugging each other in front of a house. He found himself not caring about what people might think. This is Darcy after all. His Darcy.

 

“Yeah. A lot better.” Darcy wiped a tear from her eyes and looked up to see his face. “Sorry. It’s been one hell of a night.”

 

 _And you’re the only one that could make me feel better._ The hanging sentence didn’t escape his attention. His lips curved into a huge smile. So this is why people have best friends. This is why people are willing to sacrifice things for their loved ones. Even the biting cold could not freeze the warmth emanating from his heart.

 

“Wanna stay over?” He asked her. He knew she was staring at his face to find any motives behind his invitation. She gave him a small nod and her cheeks flushed a little. Johnny had to stop himself from kissing her cheeks when he saw it.

 

 

“Come on. We can steal Richard’s expensive booze and you can talk about your feelings.” He took her hand and led her inside. She gave him another breathtaking smile and Johnny made a mental note to never take it for granted.

 

* * *

 

Bucky thought he was having a nightmare. It wasn’t until he wondered why Steve and Nat didn’t barged into his room that he realized he wasn’t the one who has been screaming. He blinked his eyes a couple of times and jumped out of the bed. He scrambled to grab a T-shirt before he made his way out of the bedroom. He saw Clint closed the door behind him and gave him a surprised look. He wasn’t the only one who thought he was having a nightmare.

 

“Who—“ Clint’s question was cut by a loud whimpering sound from the room next to Bucky’s. The door was slightly ajar and Bucky could hear Natasha’s unmistakable Russian from Wanda’s room.

 

“Nat?” He mumbled as he pushed open the door, wondering if he was even allowed to enter the room.

 

“Wake up, Wanda. Come on. Bucky’s here.” Natasha kept saying in Russian. Wanda was still thrashing on her bed, whimpering something in Sokovian. Wanda had told him it was similar to Russian. He thought he heard something along the lines of ‘sorry’ and ‘didn’t mean it’.

 

He was all too familiar with nightmares but it unnerved him a little to be in this position. Usually, he was the one having nightmares and Natasha or Steve were the one standing next to his bed, whispering comforting words and lullabies to his ears. Natasha looked like she was going to burst into tears when Wanda begged for her life. So Bucky made his way towards the edge of the bed and kneeled next to Natasha, trying to do what his best friends usually do.

 

“Wanda. Wake up, doll. It’s just a dream.” His voice was soft and gentle and Bucky’s lips twitched upward when Wanda knitted her eyebrows and stopped thrashing.

 

“Come on.” He coaxed her. It took him a few minutes until Wanda finally opened her eyes. He gently wiped the tears with his right thumb and gave her a comforting smile. “Hey. You did it.” He saw Natasha smiled and left the room from his peripheral view when Wanda mumbled his name.

 

* * *

 _He came again._ Was she dreaming _? She looked at her reflection on the little mirror. She was still the eleven years old girl with ponytails. She could hear the sound of their mother downstairs. She was crying again. Their father, she seethed at the word, was saying something in a hushed voice, followed by a loud crashing noise. The sound woke Pietro and he stared at her in fear._

_“He’s here again.”_

_“Yes.” Wanda nodded. She climbed down from her bed and quietly crept out. She needed to save their mother. She was weak but Wanda was not. Pietro let out a silent curse as he followed her._

_Everyone always said that their father was the kindest man alive. No one ever saw what their father did behind the doors. Their mother was always good with make up and fake smiles. But Wanda was not a fool. She gritted her teeth when he walked over to them and his hand smacked her cheek, sending her to the wooden floor._

_“YOU LITTLE BITCH!” She wondered if she did anything that pissed him off today. Her eyes widened in realization when he threw a piece of paper at her face. She had told her teacher earlier about his abusive behavior. Did she cause this? She looked at him in fear._

_“Stay away from her!” Pietro shouted and threw the night lamp at their father. It hit his shoulder and Wanda let out a shrilling scream when he flung Pietro to a wall, knocking him unconscious. She looked away from Pietro’s bleeding temple and cried when her mother’s lifeless eyes stared back at her from the other side of the room._

_“No. Mommy.” She whispered. She crawled towards her and shook her body. “Mommy wake up.”_

_“Get back here!” Their father bellowed. “I need to teach you a lesson.” She could hear the sound of his belt and she did what the girl on the TV does when someone was about to hurt her. She ran to the kitchen and grabbed the biggest knife from the drawer._

_“Get away from me!” She screamed. Her voice was drowned by his malicious laughter. She couldn’t remember what she did next. She only remembered holding a bloody knife and staring at their father’s body on the floor, blood soaking her newly bought socks_. Oh no. What has she done?

 

_“… doll.” She sharply turned her head. She recognized that voice. It was calming, unlike their father’s. She waddled out of the kitchen, trying her best not to step on the rug their mother bought the other day._

_“-dream… come on.” She frowned. Who is that? She closed her eyes and crouched down. She covered her ears with her tiny hands and begged for someone to save them._

Wanda gasped for air as she opened her eyes. She was unfocused, her eyes darting around the room, trying to make sure she was no longer in Sokovia. Then she saw him. James. He was smiling at her and wiping her tears away from her cheeks. She shakily reached out to him. Bucky was more than willing to open his arms and pulled her close. She shuddered at the sudden warmth. _It was over. It was just a dream. A bad memory._ She repeated in her head until she was too tired to think. Bucky rubbed her back as he whispered something to her. She felt his lips on her forehead and she let out a small sigh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think!! :D
> 
>  
> 
> PS : @Lol Llamas I am sorry i took so long but HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY! I hope you enjoy this chapter :)


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